Probabilistic weather severity estimation system

Abstract

A method implementing a probabilistic weather severity estimation system is provided. The method includes gathering meteorological information from a plurality of vehicles based on a non-periodic iteratively optimized communication method that at least in part takes into consideration an vehicle's position and heading in relation to a weather event. A probabilistic weather severity estimation for future weather conditions is calculated based at least in part on the gathered meteorological information and an assigning of computed probabilistic weather severity values to nodes in a matrix. Each node is associated with a respective part of space volume in which the plurality of vehicles are gathering the meteorological information.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method implementing a probabilistic weather severity estimation system, the method comprising:
 determining a coverage of a plurality of nodes relating to a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles traveling through an airspace volume associated with the plurality of nodes; 
 determining if an overlap of monitoring coverage of the airspace volume associated with at least one node of the plurality of nodes is present with at least two vehicles of the plurality of vehicles; 
 when an overlap of monitoring coverage is found present with the at least two vehicles, removing at least one vehicle of the at least two vehicles from gathering meteorological information so that future weather information requests are not transmitted to the at least one vehicle of the at least two vehicles until coverage is reevaluated; 
 gathering meteorological information from a remainder of the plurality of vehicles; and 
 calculating a probabilistic weather severity estimation for future weather conditions based at least in part on the gathered meteorological information. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing the probabilistic weather severity estimation to at least one of the plurality of vehicles. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilistic weather severity values are associated with meteorological information related to at least one of intensity of precipitation, turbulence, lightening, hail and age of the meteorological information. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining if other nodes or other vehicles should be removed from gathering the meteorological information. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the method further comprises:
 determining if parts of the airspace volume corresponding to nodes of the plurality of nodes are monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle; and 
 when a part of the airspace volume corresponding to a node is not monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle, removing the node from the matrix. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 replacing the node in the matrix when the part of airspace volume becomes monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the method further comprises:
 determining if parts of the airspace volume corresponding to nodes are associated with changing weather conditions; and 
 when a part of the airspace volume corresponding to a node is not associated with changing weather conditions, removing the node from the matrix for a period of time. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the method further comprises:
 determining if nodes associated with parts of the airspace volume are non-efficient nodes, the non-efficient nodes having out-of-date values(s) and having neighboring nodes having more recent values that indicate no severe weather condition is present; and 
 when it is determined that a node is a non-efficient node, removing the node from the matrix. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tracking an age of the probabilistic weather severity estimation; and 
 timing requests for further meteorological information from at least one of the plurality of vehicles based on the age of probabilistic weather severity estimation. 
 
     
     
       10. A system for implementing a probabilistic weather severity estimation, the system comprising:
 a memory storing instructions; and 
 a processor executing the instructions to execute a process, the process including:
 determining a coverage of a plurality of nodes relating to a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles traveling through an airspace volume associated with the plurality of nodes; 
 determining if an overlap of monitoring coverage of the airspace volume associated with at least one node of the plurality of nodes is present with at least two vehicles of the plurality of vehicles; 
 when an overlap of monitoring coverage is found present with the at least two vehicles, removing at least one vehicle of the at least two vehicles from gathering meteorological information so that future weather information requests are not transmitted to the at least one vehicle of the at least two vehicles until coverage is reevaluated; 
 gathering meteorological information from a remainder of the plurality of vehicles; and 
 calculating a probabilistic weather severity estimation for future weather conditions based at least in part on the gathered meteorological information. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the process further includes:
 determining if other nodes or other vehicles should be removed from gathering the meteorological information. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the process further comprises:
 determining if parts of the airspace volume corresponding to nodes of the plurality of nodes are monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle; and 
 when a part of the airspace volume corresponding to a node is not monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle, removing the node from the matrix. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the process further comprises:
 replacing the node in the matrix when the part of airspace volume becomes monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the process further comprises:
 determining if parts of the airspace volume corresponding to nodes are associated with changing weather conditions; and 
 when a part of the airspace volume corresponding to a node is not associated with changing weather conditions, removing the node from the matrix for a period of time. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the process further comprises:
 determining if nodes associated with parts of the airspace volume are non-efficient nodes, the non-efficient nodes having out-of-date values(s) and having neighboring nodes having more recent values that indicate no severe weather condition is present; and 
 when it is determined that a node is a non-efficient node, removing the node from the matrix. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the process further comprises:
 tracking an age of the probabilistic weather severity estimation; and 
 timing requests for further meteorological information from at least one of the plurality of vehicles based on the age of probabilistic weather severity estimation. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for implementing a probabilistic weather severity estimation system, the method comprising:
 determining a coverage of a plurality of nodes relating to a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of vehicles traveling through an airspace volume associated with the plurality of nodes; 
 determining if an overlap of monitoring coverage of the airspace volume associated with at least one node of the plurality of nodes is present with at least two vehicles of the plurality of vehicles; 
 when an overlap of monitoring coverage is found present with the at least two vehicles, removing at least one vehicle of the at least two vehicles from gathering meteorological information so that future weather information requests are not transmitted to the at least one vehicle of the at least two vehicles until coverage is reevaluated; 
 gathering meteorological information from a remainder of the plurality of vehicles; and 
 calculating a probabilistic weather severity estimation for future weather conditions based at least in part on the gathered meteorological information. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , the method further comprises:
 determining if other nodes or other vehicles should be removed from gathering the meteorological information. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the method further comprises:
 determining if parts of the airspace volume corresponding to nodes of the plurality of nodes are monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle; and 
 when a part of the airspace volume corresponding to a node is not monitorable by at least one sensor of at least one vehicle, removing the node from the matrix. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the plurality of nodes are stored in a matrix, and the method further comprises: 
 determining if parts of the airspace volume corresponding to nodes are associated with changing weather conditions; and 
 when a part of the airspace volume corresponding to a node is not associated with changing weather conditions, removing the node from the matrix for a period of time.